Angel City Football Club (ACFC) will face the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on Sunday, May 17, at 3 p.m. Pacific. The match will be televised on ESPN2.
Last Time Out: Wave Scores Late to Beat ACFC
In a closely fought battle between Southern California rivals, San Diego Wave FC topped Angel City FC, 2-1, at BMO Stadium on May 9.
Defender Emily Sams netted an equalizer in the 54th minute after San Diego scored in the opening minutes of the second half. But Wave defender Mimi Van Zanten’s tally in the 81st minute gave San Diego the win.
ACFC’s loss came in yet another match in which Angel City (3-4-0) generated more chances, with 1.49 expected goals to the Wave’s 0.77. Rookie forward Taylor Suarez led the club with two shots on target.
Next Up: Wilson, Moultrie and the Thorns
Portland (6-2-1) will welcome ACFC from the top of the NWSL standings, having won two of three matches since the clubs faced each other at BMO Stadium on April 26. The Thorns have played two more matches than Angel City, and Portland was most recently upset by Racing Louisville FC, 3-1, on May 8 at Lynn Family Stadium.
Thorns forward Sophia Wilson, who registered the game-winning goal in the last match against ACFC, scored her third of the year against Louisville. Meanwhile, Portland midfielder Olivia Moultrie is tied with San Diego’s Dudinha for first in the league with four assists.
Angel City will look to rev up its offense against the Thorns. ACFC continues to be a top-five team in the NWSL in goals scored, having tallied 12 in just seven games played.
In the Spotlight: Phair Earning More Minutes
Forward Casey Phair made her second appearance of the season for Angel City on May 9, coming on as a second-half substitute against the Wave. The South Korean attacker played 21 minutes as she continues to earn more minutes for the club.
Phair signed with ACFC in January 2023, at which time she became the youngest player under contract for Angel City. At just 18 years old, the forward has already shown several flashes of her potential. As a member of the South Korea Women’s National Team, Phair has earned 14 caps and recorded four goals. She also previously scored a hat trick for the South Korea U-17 Women’s National Team.
Phair is under contract with Angel City through 2028 and is a key piece of the young ACFC roster as it grows in experience under the guidance of Head Coach Alex Straus.
